Modulation of Cognitive Control Signals in Prefrontal Cortex by Rhythmic Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Executive Function

Treatments: Device: Theta TMS; Device: Alpha TMS; Device: Arrhythmic TMS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03828734

18-1789

R01MH111889 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Purpose: In this study, the investigators will provide causal evidence for the role of alpha and theta oscillations in cognitive control.

Participants: Participants must be healthy, between the ages of 18 and 35, right handed, able to provide informed consent, willing to comply with all study procedures, and be available for the duration of the study, speak and understand English.

Procedures: Alpha and theta brain oscillations will be measured and then entrained using frequency specific rhythmic TMS during a retrospective cued cognitive control task.

Full description

Neural oscillations are proposed to be a mechanism of coordinating information processing across distributed regions of cortex. Different neural oscillations may correspond to different underlying neural computations. Noninvasive brain stimulation allows experimenters to modulate specific neural oscillations by targeting particular frequency bands. By collecting simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG), rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been previously demonstrated to entrain neural oscillations at the frequency of stimulation. Furthermore, when the frequency of entrained neural oscillations is matched to the frequency of endogenous activity in a cognitive task, the brain stimulation improves behavioral performance. Therefore, noninvasive brain stimulation is a promising tool for improving cognition by inducing optimal neural activity via externally applied electromagnetic fields; e.g. cognitive control improvements.

Previous evidence has implicated neural activity in the alpha band (8-12 Hz) in information suppression and activity in the theta band (4-7 Hz) in information prioritization. Cognitive control task paradigms have been shown to elicit distinct activity in both of these bands. In this task, the stimuli are lateralized to the right and left visual field during encoding. After a short delay, a cue informs participants which stimuli (right or left) will be tested. Previous evidence found that alpha activity in parietal cortex is generated contralateral to irrelevant stimuli-supporting the role of alpha in information suppression-while theta activity in frontal cortex increases with the number of stimuli to be remembered-supporting the role of theta in information prioritization.

For the current study, the investigators propose to deliver rhythmic trains of TMS in either alpha frequency, theta frequency, or an arrhythmic control to modulate neural processing during a cognitive control task. By collecting simultaneous EEG with TMS, the investigators will be able to measure the entrained oscillations from rhythmic TMS. The goal of this experiment is to enhance the observed theta and alpha activity that is seen with the successful prioritization and suppression of information. To provide causal evidence that parietal cortex generates alpha activity and frontal cortex generates theta activity, the investigators will apply rhythmic TMS stimulation to two scalp locations: the anterior middle frontal gyrus and inferior intraparietal sulcus. By applying alpha frequency, theta frequency, and arrhythmic TMS at each location, the investigators will be able to examine the causal relationship of frontal theta oscillations in information prioritization and parietal alpha oscillations in information suppression.

Enrollment: 58 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy
• Between the ages of 18 and 35
• Right handed
• Able to provide informed consent
• Willing to comply with all study procedures
• Available for the duration of the study
• Speak and understand English.

Exclusion criteria

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (currently under treatment)
• Neurological disorders and conditions, including, but not limited to: History of epilepsy Seizures (except childhood febrile seizures) -Dementia
• History of stroke
• Parkinson's disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cerebral aneurysm
• Brain tumors
• Medical or neurological illness or treatment for a medical disorder that could interfere with study participation (e.g., unstable cardiac disease, HIV/AIDS, malignancy, liver or renal impairment)
• Prior brain surgery -Any brain devices/implants, including cochlear implants and aneurysm clips -Cardiac pacemaker -Any other implanted electronic device -History of current traumatic brain injury -(For females) Pregnancy or breast feeding -Anything that, in the opinion of the investigator, would place the participant at increased risk or preclude the participant's full compliance with or completion of the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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58 participants in 2 patient groups

TMS to frontal cortex followed by TMS to parietal cortex

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive TMS while performing a cognitive control task. In their first stimulation session, the TMS coil will be placed over the frontal cortex on the scalp. In their second session, the TMS coil will be placed over the parietal cortex on the scalp. During every session, subjects receive Theta TMS, Alpha TMS, and Arrhythmic TMS.

Treatment:

Device: Arrhythmic TMS

Device: Alpha TMS

Device: Theta TMS

TMS to parietal cortex followed by TMS to frontal cortex

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive TMS while performing a cognitive control task. In their first stimulation session, the TMS coil will be placed over the parietal cortex on the scalp. In their second session, the TMS coil will be placed over the frontal cortex on the scalp. During every session, subjects receive Theta TMS, Alpha TMS, and Arrhythmic TMS.

Treatment:

Device: Arrhythmic TMS

Device: Alpha TMS

Device: Theta TMS